The Eye of Anubis: Book Nine

[lostboy]

Sascha crosses his arms and waits silently. Mostly the Knight was allowing those more gifted with tongues to do their share, but he couldnt shake the after-effects of his earlier vsion, and the terrible sense of foreboding he had. A sense that wasnt improved by their current surroundings, this place was oppressive, dark and full of unwhispered secrets, it was all Sascha could do to fight down the urge to burn it all.

It was also a sense not improved by the personality change that had come over the nervous one up there on the altar....

So with his head full of those thoughts he watches the others, a light scraping noise can be heard as he flexes his knuckles, ready for whatever may befall.

[yalenusveler]

"If I have to, Charles, I will." Andre said, eyes meeting Devereux's possibly luminescent gaze. "I don't want to have to. Can..you please come down off the altar, and let's just talk?"

OOC:21 On a diplomacy. Forgot about the Synergy bonus

[DocBeard]

Tomas seems to be a page behind the others. "What on earth..." The Lamordian steps forward...

"Professor?" The man was something of an inspiration to Tomas; if not for a model of moral courage, at least for being able to live as normal a life as someone with...with their affliction can. Or maybe Tomas just saw those heroic qualities in the man, so desperate to find someone else who saw the twisted, troubling things that haunted the Lamordian's every day life-but Tomas can't bring himself to admit, or even seriously contemplate that terrible option.

The 'no friends' bit hurt a little, too. "...what are you doing?" Eisenwald manages.

[NeoTiamat]

The Temple of Anuberith, Kamarn-Quse, Har'Akir
August 19th, 761, 3:09 PM; Day 155 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"...what are you doing?" Eisenwald manages.

Devereux smiled at Tomas; not one of his forced, twitching expressions, but a genuine smile.

"I'm accepting myself," Devereux said, standing up before the altar, finally looking like a man who could be called a professor. "All my life, I've been afraid. Afraid of my power, afraid of what I saw, afraid of who I saw. I was afraid of myself, so I thought I could deny my power till it went away. I was feared by others, so I accepted the role of the outcast and buffoon. It was only here that I could finally realize... there was never anything to be afraid of."

The odd-eyed professor took a single forefinger and placed it on his throat. There was a soft, otherworldly glow, and then Devereux drew the digit down in a single, unbroken line down his chest, stretching it from throat to stomach, a coruscating, colorful line of energy that transformed from cyan, to gold, to grey, to green, and then to cyan once more.

The four Obelisks glowed more strongly, the bizarre distortion about them increasing. It was as though you gazed at them through a broken, melted glass. Their light grew stronger, and the air above them filled with colors, blue, gold, grey, green, forming a giant corona above Devereux's head, a swirling disc of color ten meters across.

"Don't be afraid," Charles Devereux said, his eyes blazing like violet stars. "It won't hurt..."

Professor Devereux put his book on the altar of the Temple of Anuberith, and then he seemed to grasp the line of energy along his chest with both hands. Slowly, methodically, Devereux pulled his chest open. It was as though Charles Devereux was no more than a shell, a shell now peeled away to reveal something beneath, something altogether alien to reality.

You gazed into a void. And the void gazed back.

[It's Combat Time! Probably. Assuming you desire to disrupt Devereux's ritual, which would probably be a good thing as far as localized reality goes, you have two options: You can kill or knock-out Professor Devereux, or you can destroy the four Obelisks powering his ritual.

PCs move first.

Destroying the Obelisks - Nothing too unusual here, save that they're objects and not creatures.
Dispelling the Obelisks - DC 19 Dispel Check, and it disables an Obelisk for 1 round. This prevents it from acting, or powering the ritual in any way.
Disabling the Obelisk - You may try a Disable Device check while attendant an Obelisk. This doesn't disable it, but instead deals damage to it equal to 1/2 of your Disable Device check result. This damage bypasses Hardness.

Killing Devereux - Self explanatory.
Knocking-out Devereux - Knowledge: Religion, Spellcraft, or Heal Check to find out the ramifications of this.

Letting Devereux finish his ritual. - Spellcraft, Knowledge: Planes, or Knowledge: Arcana to find out the ramifications of this.

Ending Conditions
-The Obelisks are all destroyed or dispelled, OR
-Devereux is incapable of finishing the ritual (dead or unconscious or Feebleminded or whatever), OR
-Devereux finishes the Ritual. This occurs in 1 minute, which is 10 rounds, if Devereux is still directing the Ritual and at least one Obelisk is powering it.



Columns - The two squares immediately south of any given Column provide Cover. Columns also block Line of Sight.

[yalenusveler]

"We have to take out the obelisks" Andre shouted, not sure if the dull roar he heard was in his head alone, or was actually a true sound. "If we knock him out...the power coursing through him will likley shred his mind. And if we don't stop it...or don't stop it in time. It will kill him..it's pulling him, somewhere..else"

And with that, Andre set off, moving to get into a position where he had a clear shot at the obelisks. "Take out the obelisks, and for the love of all that is holy, please..don't kill him..or worse." His voice near pleading, Andre sighted the Cyan obelisk, and with a series of gestures and a cry of "Clamo!" let loose with a lance of sound.

OOC:moving to AQ22, and then sound lancing the Cyan Obelisk, 30 damage.

[Kaitou Kage]

Kuzan raised up his hands and spoke a word of holy power. A wave of divine energy rushed over the party, bolstering mind and body. "Run!" he shouted, "Get up there and stop him now!"

Casting prayer, moving to AP 11.

Party gains +1 luck bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and skill checks. If anyone happens to have the feat, please 2-handed power attack the bejeezus out of these obelisks >->

[DocBeard]

"Professor!" Tomas shouts, not wanting to believe that his mentor has given in so absolutely to corruption. He skids along the floor, rushing forward as only a desperate man in heavy armor can, trying to comprehend the true, sinister nature of the ritual...!

"...if I stop you from enacting your fell sacrament of unlife," Tomas calls out, perhaps hoping to shock the Professor out of his madness, "Will that be reflected in my final grade for the course?"

(OOC: Running to AL15, I think. I did a religion check and got a 25 on it.)

[Nathan of the FoS]

Almost despite himself, Charles looks around for the Anubite. Perhaps she's playing bouncer at the temple door? Or is she here, to pay attention to...proceedings?

This is partly to avoid looking at Devereux, who has now surpassed his own (rather high) standards for weird behavior by so wide a margin as to confirm the poor fellow's protestation that he had just been trying to fit in all along. Charles would feel sorry for him, except...well, at present he seems to be more some kind of door than anything human. And, Devereux's affirmation that it won't hurt to one side, Charles has a deep--in fact, a profound--desire not to see what lies on the far side of that door.

So, obviously the first thing to do is sprint toward it (him?) as quickly as possible. Perhaps reality will be altered enough by the time Charles arrives to make this a good idea after all.

Full-round action to run to W15

[The Whistler]

Otto simply gapes, for half a moment--

This isn't self-acceptance. This is not self-acceptance. To accept yourself is not to sacrifice your own conscious self-conception to the inner void, the part of you which is by nature uncontrollable--

--Hey. HEY!--

--That void is to be accepted, reckoned with, and governed by the conscious self-conception. Governed--

--Oh, this is ridiculous. Projecting much, are we?--

--RATIONALLY. NOT SIMPLY ALLOWED FREE REIGN--

--WILL YOU SHUT UP?!

...

...Listen. I'm a wolf spirit shoehorned into your head by a hick nature-fey. Or I'm the animal that's always been sitting in the back corner of your personality, who's just now got a decent excuse to hit the spotlight. OR you got hit over the head REALLY HARD back in Barovia, and this is all one MOTHER of a hallucination.

Point is, you're thinking me through too hard.

...

That guy up there? On the altar? Damned if I know what's in his head. But he's had it there longer than you've had me. Guy's had to deal with not knowing who he is all his life--and if he's a thinker, like you, that's got to eat at him. Got to make him desperate for any answer at all. Understand?

...

Now, what we're going to do, is we're going to cut the light show, get him off that hokey chair, and sit him down for some coffee and sauerkraut. Then, the two of you are going to teach each other that you don't need to figure yourselves out to be happy. Got it?

...

...Fine. You can use the bombs, too.

--And then sprints toward the altar, opening the pouches on his bandolier...

OOC: Fast Movement gets me to AE18, I think.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Evigile, annulu ignis contemplativis," Lia says as she turns on her heel. Her wings unfurl and she takes to the air, flitting between the pillars and moving at a diagonal in Kuzan's wake, then passing him. The silver ring on her hand abruptly starts to glow bright red, just as Lia's eyes rekindle.

Dropping to the ground ahead of the cleric, but not looking at him even once, Lia raises her hands against the golden obelisk. "Regna ignis sum. Sphaera ignis expandens e manu evolat," the Wizard chants, and a tiny sphere of something yellow and smelly in the palm of her hand turns into a tiny sphere of hot flame, encircled by red light.

The tiny sphere zips away from the Wizard to stop in the air, scant feet away from the golden obelisk, where it swells into roaring fire and destruction.

(Using flight to get to AK11, firing the empowered fireball with full charges from the Ring of Mystic Fire at UP 11 for a total of 58 damage.)

[lostboy]

"We have to take out the obelisks"

"It would have been better to burn this place to the ground" Sascha mutters under his breath. That option was passed now, but hell why not break it apart piece by piece, Sascha's eye's light up a little at that prospect, as he draws his sword in anticipation.

With a battle cry he surges forward, his legs burning as he sprints flat out across the temple. The Knight was fast, fast for an old man at any rate, although it took all his mental energy to focus on the obelisks and not the man on the altar.

[OOC: full round run round to Z14 I believe you can also draw a weapon as a free action as part fo a move?]

*edited as I showed a flagrant disregard for the rules governing running*

[NeoTiamat]

The Temple of Anuberith, Kamarn-Quse, Har'Akir
August 19th, 761, 3:10 PM; Day 155 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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PC Actions
Andre casts a Sound Lance at the Cerulean Obelisk for 30-8=22 damage.
Kuzan casts Prayer
Tomas runs up.
Charles runs up.
Otto runs up.
Lia flies over and Fireballs the Golden Obelisk for 58/2=29-8=21 damage.
Sascha runs up.

The Golden Obelisk pulsed, a soft, lambent glow that called to mind the rich metals of the earth, of something beautiful and quiet. It pulsed once, and re-arranged reality.

To Charles, it was as though the world had been set on end. No longer was gravity pleasantly keeping him anchored to the floor. Rather, the mathematician felt as though he was falling back, plummeting back, on a collision course for the Lamordian. Gravity, it seemed, was optional.

The Cerulean Obelisk pulsed, an electric, charged sparkle that called to mind lightning bolts and summer skies, something magnificent and beautiful. It pulsed once, and re-arranged reality.

The result was largely invisible, but you could see the tiles on the floor crack and buckle, as something impossibly fast rushed across the tiles. A shivering, shimmering wall rose up across the room, trapping Sascha within. The knight felt as though caught in an unimaginably strong headwind, one fast enough and sharp enough to abrade the skin away, leaving bloody wounds. And no matter where Dziemianovitch turned, he was looking forth into a headwind, blocking his steps.

The Grey Obelisk pulsed, a dull, colorless glow that called to mind mountains, something heavy and unmoving. It pulsed once, and re-arranged reality.

The very air around Kuzan, Tomas, Lia, turned suddenly very hot, and very cold, somehow simultaneously. Breath frosted over, sweat turned to ice, even as the skin burned and smoked from the heat. Heavy, steaming mist obscured your vision, and ice and meltwater dogged your steps.

The Emerald Obelisk pulsed, a venomous, malignant glow that called to mind lush ivy, something alive and unfriendly. It pulsed once, and re-arranged reality.

Reality opened up beneath Otto. In one moment, the Lamordian was running towards the Obelisks, pistol in hand. The next moment, Otto was falling, plummeting through a bottomless, eternal void, looking at the stars rushing by as he fell. Somewhere far below, there may be an end. Or perhaps Otto would just fall for the rest of eternity. Either way, the Lamordian fell.

Professor Devereux didn't pay the unfolding scene too much attention. He merely gazed out across the Temple, the corona of power gaining in strength and power above his head. From the energy-filled void within Devereux's chest, a hand thrust forward. A pale, translucent hand, almost human...

Enemy Actions
The Golden Obelisk attempts to Telekinesis Charles and throw him at Tomas. Charles, make a DC 18 Will Save. On a failure, you are thrown at Tomas, moving to AK 14 and take 4 damage. Tomas takes 18 damage from flying mathematicians.

The Cerulean Obelisk casts Unstable Reality, catching Sascha within. This is a zone (see below).

The Grey Obelisk casts Hostile Reality. This deals 38 damage (half fire, half cold), DC 19 Reflex save for half. This hits Tomas, Kuzan, Lia, and Charles if he fails his TK save. This also leaves a zone (see below).

The Emerald Obelisk casts False Void underneath Otto, leaving a zone (see below). Otto and anyone entering the False Void must make a DC 19 Will (Disbelief) save.



PC: Prayer (+1 Luck to attack, saves, damage, and skills)
Lia: 53/34 HP, False Life (+19 Temp HP), Greater Mage Armor (+6 Armor AC)
Charles: 48/48 HP,
Andre: 55/31 HP, Amulet of Tears (+24 Temp HP)
Tomas: 91/91 HP,
Sascha: 92/92 HP
Otto: 62/62 HP
Kuzan: 83/83 HP

The Golden Obelisk: -21 HP
The Cerulean Obelisk: -22 HP
The Emerald Obelisk:
The Grey Obelisk:

Ending Conditions
-The Obelisks are all destroyed or dispelled, OR
-Devereux is incapable of finishing the ritual (dead or unconscious or Feebleminded or whatever), OR
-Devereux finishes the Ritual. This occurs in 1 minute, which is 10 rounds, if Devereux is still directing the Ritual and at least one Obelisk is powering it.



Columns - The two squares immediately south of any given Column provide Cover. Columns also block Line of Sight.

Unstable Reality (The green) - Basically, this is a Wall of Thorns http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wallOfThorns.htm, with a slightly different movement requirement.

The gist is this. If you enter a square of Unstable Reality, or begin your turn in a square of Unstable Reality, you take 25 damage minus your Flatfooted AC (if your Flatfooted AC is 25 or higher, you take no damage). This happens every time you enter a square, so if you move through three squares of Unstable Reality, you take the damage 3 times.

To move through the Unstable Reality, one must succeed on a DC 15 Strength or DC 15 Wisdom check as a Full Round Action, and this moves you 5 feet through the wall (you don't need a check if you are in the wall and move out). For every 5 points by which you exceed DC 15, you move an additional five feet (so a Wis check of 20 lets you move 10 feet).

Hostile Reality (red area) - This is identical to Fog Cloud http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fogCloud.htm, with a few additions.

The Hostile Reality obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. A creature within 5 feet has concealment (attacks have a 20% miss chance). Creatures farther away have total concealment (50% miss chance, and the attacker can’t use sight to locate the target). This means that you cannot cast any spell that requires sight on anything beyond 5 ft. (This includes Mass Cures)

The red terrain is now Difficult (that is, two squares of movement to traverse a single square).

False Void (blue area) - Every creature that enters the False Void, or is within the area when it is cast, must make a DC 19 Will (Disbelief) save.

Those that fail their saves fall prone and are unable to take any action except clawing desperately at the floor in the hopes of stopping their apparent fall. An attack on an affected creature frees it from the effect of the illusion but leaves it stunned for 1 round. Likewise, when the spell ends, creatures that believed they were falling are stunned for 1 round. Flying creatures passing over an illusory pit are unaffected by the spell.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Lia grits her teeth as the hostile terrain tears into her. Blood stains the ground beneath her feet as the Wizard bends over, hands clutching her stomach ... and her wings unfurl, pumping frantically.

With a twist and a wrench, Lia breaks free of the hostile terrain, but she is clearly in a bad way; she wobbles slightly as she flies. But fly she does, until she lands, well away from the area that suddenly turned against her in such a vile manner. For a moment she stands still, still clutching her abdomen while bloods drips onto the floor tiles.

Eyes swimming, she looks up, trying to make sense of her surroundings. But stabbing pain interferes as it rampages through her head, tears up her eyes ... and she can feel her blood still slipping out of her, drop by drop by drop. 'This is no good,' a cool, clinical voice in the back of her head says, cutting through the pain and shock. 'I'm too weak. I need to mend.'

As if independent, Lia's fingers scrabble at her pack and pull out a smooth, metal flask with a label in High Mordentish. 'To think I carried this all the way from Dementlieu without needing it,' Lia thinks with a feeling of ... Accomplishment? Disappointment? Something else? Who knows. Lia pops the cork, tips up her mask and drinks deeply. The steady patter of blood ... stops. Thought resumes.

'Now, then. How can I best make those obelisk ... break?' Lia asks herself as she rises to her full height, mind seething with an icy rage. 'And will they activate again if struck a second time?'

(OOC: Failed my Reflex save with an 8, so I took 38 damage; down to 15 hp. Using flight to get to AH8 and taking cover. Drinking a potion of Cure Moderate Wounds for 28+3 = 15 hp. Wahey. Back to 30 hp.)

[yalenusveler]

Andre was unsure what exactly the obelisks were doing, but he had little doubt that their warping of reality could only get less pleasant from this point. His fingers returned to their positioning for the evocation of a sound lance, and with another cry of "Clamo!" Andre continued to attempt to bring down the Cerulean Obelisk.

OOC:Sound Lance on Cerulean, 36 damage

[Kaitou Kage]

Kuzan twisted, avoiding the bulk of the cold heat wave. It still trickled across his skin, but he gritted his teeth and shrugged it off. The priest swung his arms in a wide arc and called out to Varuna. A wind picked up around him and carried him off the ground. Empowered by the gale, the priest shot up and out of the cloud, seeking the dubious cover of a pillar.

Made my Reflex save with a 23. Casting fly, moving to AP8, and then going straight up about 30 feet.